Point-of-sale ("POS") terminals, such as cash registers, are used in a wide variety of businesses for performing such processes as calculating the total price of a purchase (goods or services) and calculating the amount of change due to a customer. In addition, POS terminals may also be used to read and process coupons used by a customer. Some POS terminals are further able to print coupons for customers.
Businesses typically offer coupons to customers in an attempt to promote many objectives. One such objective is to entice customers to visit the business. Coupons may further entice customers to visit the business more frequently. For example, a coupon may have an expiration date, and so the customer must use the coupon before that date or not at all. Businesses may also promote certain items by offering coupons which provide a discount only when those items are included in a purchase.
Offering higher-value coupons to customers typically allows a business to more effectively promote their objectives, such as customer retention. However, the redemption of higher-value coupons typically reduces the profit gained by the business.
It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for generating coupons that allowed a business to more effectively promote its various objectives.